Means and method of feeding fibers



1 April 1968 I J. G. KERAMAS ETAL 3,377,664

MEANS AND METHOD OF FEEDING FIBERS 5 ets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1964 'NVENTORS t/flMES 6: AEIEWMAS '41 ATT NEYS A ril 16,1968

Filed Oct. 1964 J. G. KERAMAS ETAL 3,377,664 MEANS AND METHOD OF FEEDING FIBERS 3 heets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS d/JMES a. KEEml ms DflN/EL ve/ MAM ATTORNEYS FIG. 3

April 1968 J. G. KERAMAS ETAL 3,377,664

I MEANS AND METHOD OF FEEDING FIBERS Filed Oct. 9, 1964 5 sneets sneex 5 ll l lll lll :z: 1. :c "z" INVENTOR.

WWW/m United States Patent O MEANS AND METHOD OF FEEDING FIBERS James G. Keramas, Woburn, and Daniel Frishman,

Andover, Mass., assignors to Fibresearch Cor porafion, Lawrence, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 9, 1%4, Ser. No. 406,210 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-105) The present invention relates to a means and method of feeding fibers to a carding mechanism.

Heretofore, a plurality of rolls including feed rolls and a lickerin roll have been used to feed fibers to a carding mechanism. This arrangement has not been altogether satisfactory, particularly when long fibers are being fed to the main cylinder of the carding mechanism. There has been a tendency in using such mechanism for the main cylinder, rotating at high speeds, to pull the fibers from the lickerin roll and feed rolls in bunches or groups. This results in a non-uniform distribution of the fibers on the main cylinder particularly when long fibers are being fed to the carding mechanism. When this carding mechanism is a part of a knitting machine there is a tendency for the nonuniform distribution of the fibers to cause breakage of needles in the knitting machine. Further, the fabric being knitted is often formed with the slubs and holes as a result of the nonuniform distribution and feeding. In addition, long fibers have a tendency to wrap around the feed rolls drspite the use of wiping mechanisms, thereby causing breakdowns and stoppages and consequent inefiicient operation of the entire mechanism.

The present invention is designed to overcome these difiiculties, and provides a means and method for uniformly feeding fibers, and particularly long fibers in sliver form, to the main cylinder of a carding mechanism. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a means and method of feeding long fibers to a carding mechanism in a manner which minimizes the formation of slubs and non-uniform distribution of the fibers to the knitting needles of a knitting machine used in conjunction with the carding mechanism. It is also an object of this invention to provide a feed mechanism for feeding fibers through a carding mechanism to a knitting machine in a manner which minimizes needles breakage and the formation of holes in the fabric being knitted. A further object of this invention is to provide a means for feeding fibers to a carding mechanism of a knitting machine which is efficient, sturdy, certain of operation and requires little attention, servicing or repairs.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved feed means for feeding a sliver to a carding mechanism wherein the fibers are uniformly engaged by the feed means regardless of the uniformity of the sliver shape.

In the present invention there is provided means preferably comprising a pair of endless belts mounted for rotation with sections in adjacent facing relation with the 'belts adapted to carry fibers fed therebetween from one end of the sections to the other end. These belts are provided with mounting means for positioning the other end of the sections adjacent a carding mechanism which may comprise a portion of a knitting machine. Means are provided for rotating the belts towards the carding mechanism at a speed slower than the rotating speed of the main cylinder of the carding mechanism so that fibers fed between the sections of the belts will be frictionally retarded by the belts and will be maintained in a substantially straightened form while they are being engaged by the main cylinder of the carding mechanism. This invention also contemplates a method of feeding fibers to a main cylinder of a carding mechanism, which preferably comprises substantially straightening the fibers in a plane and thereafter feeding the fibers into engagement with the main cylinder of the carding mechanism while retarding the unengaged straightened portions of the fibers.

These and other objects of this invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which,

FIG. 1 shows a feed mechanism and main cylinder of the carding mechanism of a knitting machine embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational detail of a mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top view of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional detail taken vertically through rolls 34 and 35 as viewed in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

The feed mechanism 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a frame 20 secured by bolts and nuts 3 or other suitable means to the frame 4 housing the main cylinder 5 of a carding mechanism. The carding mechanism may be of any type and used for any purpose, but this invention is particularly useful when the carding mechanism forms a part of a knitting machine. It is also particularly useful in feeding long fibers in sliver form through a carding mechanism to the knitting needles of a circular knitting machine for knitting pile fabrics and the like.

The main cylinder 5 of the carding machine is supported on a shaft 6 suitably supported by journals in a frame 4. The main cylinder 5 is rotated in the direction of arrow A from a suitable drive source (not shown) which may be coupled to the shaft 6 through a chain and sprocket drive, including the sprocket ti keyed to the shaft 6, the chain 9 and the sprocket 10, with the sprocket 10 being connected by suitable linkages (not shown) to a power source. The feed mechanism 1 may also be actuated by a suitable means that may, if desired, be coupled to the same power source as the main cylinder 5 through the chain drive gears generally shown at 11. In this arrangement the drive shaft 12 of the feed mechanism has a sprocket 13 keyed to it. This sprocket is rotated in the direction of arrow B by a chain 14 interengaged with sprocket 15. The chain 14 may be coupled to the chain 9 by the idler gear 17. By selection of suitable sprocket and chain arrangements desired relative speeds, as hereafter described, of the main cylinder and feed mechanisms may be attained.

The feed mechanism 1 comprises a frame 20 which includes a pair of parallel sidewalls 21 interconnected 'by a rear wall 22 at one end. A guide or channel 23 is formed in the rear wall 22 intermediate its side edges. This guide 23 may comprise a pair of parallel guide rails 24 integral and continuous with the rear wall 22 and connected together at their bottom by a web 25, thereby forming the guide or channel 23. The other ends of the sidewalls 21 are formed with shoulder sections 26 adapted to be secured to the frame for supporting the main cylinder.

A pair of endless belts 28 and 29 positioned one above the other with sections 30 and 31 in facing adjacent relation are supported between the sidewalls 21. These belts extend longitudinally of the frame and are mounted at one end on rolls 32 and 33 and at the other end on rolls 34 and 35. Rolls 32 and 33 are in turn mounted respectively on shafts 36 and 37. These shafts 36 and 37 are journaled at their ends in ball bearing elements. The elements 38 for shaft 36 are illustrated in FIG. 3. The elements for shaft 37 are directly below elements 38. The elements 38 for shaft 36 are fixed to the threaded pin 40 while the elements for shaft 37 are fixed to threaded pin 41. These pins 40 and 41 project through holes 43 in the rear wall 22 with clearance between the wall and pins sufficient to permit some resilient lateral or rocking movement of the pins 40 and 41 in the holes 43. This clearance is designed to permit the shafts 36 and 37 to move apart slightly for accommodation of variations in the sliver thickness being fed to the feed mechanism. A clearance of preferably no more than is desirable. The threaded pins 40 and 41 are securely engaged with the rear wall 22 and held under sufficient tension by the lock nuts 45 and 46 to normally return the pins to their original position when displaced.

Rolls 34 and 35 at the other end of the belts are mounted respectively on shafts 50 and 12. These shafts 50 and 12 are in turn journaled in bushings or elements 53 and 54 which are supported in the sidewalls 21. The bushings or elements 53 are eccentric and are adapted to be rotated relative to bushings or elements 54 so that the belts 28 and 29 may be adjustably fixed at this end closer or farther apart depending upon the specific application desired. Roll 34 is a composite roll as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. It includes an inner core 34A of steel or other hard material and a sleeve 34B of yieldable resilient material such as rubber. The rubber preferably has a hardness of about 90 P+]. The sleeve 34B is positioned within an annular recess in the center portion of the core 34A. The core 34A has end portions 340, which may serve as shafts, of narrower diameter than the middle part, a flange 34D near one end functions to secure the belts on the rolls from lateral movement in one direction. The other roll 35 is similar in construction, except it is solid and does not have a sleeve as 3413 of roll 34, and it is reversely positioned so that its flange engages the other side of the belts.

Shaft 12 projects beyond the sidewall 21 at one side and has the sprocket 13 fixed to it by suitable means such for example as the key 56. The belts 28 and 29 are supported by the frame 20 relative to the main cylinder 5 in such a manner that the space between the curved surface of the main cylinder 5 and the other end of belt 29 at 57 is smaller than the space between the curved surface of cylinder 5 and the other end of belt 28 as indicated at 58. In a preferred embodiment the clearance 58 is approximately twice that of clearance 57. Thus if the clearance 57 is approximately A3", the clearance 58 should preferably be approximately A" to fi This permits the wires 59 of the main cylinder as they move in the direction of arrow A to come quite close to the surface of the belt 29 and as they continue to move in the direction of arrow A to pass the other end of belt 29 at a more remote distance.

The belts 28 and 29 may be formed of any durable material which preferably has a high coefficient of friction and which is thereby capable of engaging and applying a drag to fibers passing between sections 30 and 31. Neoprene has been found to be a suitable material from which the belts 28 and 29 may be formed.

In a typical application of the present invention, a sliver comprised of 24 or 40 denier Dynel fibers having an average length of 10" may be fed through the guide or channel 23. This guide or channel centers the sliver between the sides of the belts. Irregularities that may occur in the sliver are normally compensated for by the clearance between the pins 40, 41 and the rear wall 22 which permits dynamic movement of the belts at this one end toward and away from each other. Occasionally substantial irregularities in the sliver cross section may have a tendency to spread the belts apart so far that substantial numbers of fibers would not be frictionally engaged by the belts. This is compensated at the forward end by composite roll 34. Where such irregularity occurs :as illustrated in FIG. 5 at 106, the sleeve 34C is compressed slightly to accommodate this thicker portion of the sliver, while still permitting frictional engagement between the sliver in thinner portions and the belts as illustrated at 101. The belts are rotated from one end to the other with a surface speed of about 8 feet per minute. This speed may be varied depending upon the weight of the fabric. A main cylinder may be used with this arrangement having a diameter of 10 and with its arcuate surface rotating in the direction of arrow A with a surface speed of 560 feet per minute. While these parameters may be varied it should be noted that the surface speed of the main cylinder is substantially in excess of that of the belts. By varying the relative speed of the main cylinder and the endless belts one could obtain an effective control of the fabric being knit when the main cylinder is a part of a knitting machine. The main cylinder rotating at a speed faster than that of the belt engages the fibers with the wires 59 as the fibers pass between the belts in the sections 3t) and 31 and are supported in these sections in a substantially straightened form. The main cylinder 5 rotating at a speed faster than the speed of the belts draws the fibers upwardly through the clearance 58 while the fibers are being retarded by the frictional engagement of the belts 28 and 29. The fibers are then drawn from the feed mechanism 1 without likelihood of the fibers wrapping about the feed mechanism or being fed into the main cylinder in a non-uniform fashion.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a main cylinder of a carding mechanism of a knitting machine, a means for feeding fibers in sliver form to said main cylinder comprising,

a pair of endless belts with each mounted on and encircling a pair of spaced parallel rolls for rotation, each of said pairs of rolls including a forward and rear roll with at least one of said pairs of rolls having a roll comprising a core of non-resilient material covered with a sleeve of resilient material adapted to be compressed to accommodate thickened portions of said sliver,

means mounting each of said pairs of rolls parallel to one another with the belts carried thereby having sections in facing adjacent relation and adapted to carry fibers therebetween,

said mounting means having elements for dynamically displacing at least one of said rolls from the corresponding roll of the other pair whereby said belts may be moved apart at at least one end,

a frame having walls, and shafts coaxially secured to said rolls, said elements supporting said shafts for rotation of said rolls, said elements of said forward rolls being secured in said walls, and tensioning means comprising pins movably interengaging said elements for said rear rolls with said walls,

means securing said mounting means adjacent said main cylinder, and

means for driving said rolls whereby said belts will be rotated in opposite relation to one another.

2. A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 having means for rotating said main cylinder at a speed in excess of the speed of said belts.

3. A mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rolls have axis parallel to the axis of said main cylinder, and,

one of said belts has its forward roll closer to said main cylinder than the corresponding roll of the other belt and said main cylinder is adapted to rotate in a direction from said one belt to the other.

4. A mechanism as set forth in claim 3 having means 6 mounting said front rolls for adjustably fixing the space 2,442,333 6/1948 Bacon 19-10. between said sections of said belts at said other end. 2,993,351 7/1961 Wheelock 19--107 XI FOREIGN PATENTS 12,042 1902 Great Britain.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 15,080 1888 Great Britain. 159,923 2/1875 Harwood l9-105 XR y 1,290,747 1/1919 Howe 19 105 DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Exammer.

2,128,130 8/1938 Farrar 9 105 V N STEIN, Examiner- 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MAIN CYLINDER OF A CARDING MECHANISM OF A KNITTING MACHINE, A MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS IN SLIVER FORM TO SAID MAIN CYLINDER COMPRISING, A PAIR OF ENDLESS BELTS WITH EACH MOUNTED ON AND ENCIRCLING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL ROLLS FOR ROTATION, EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF ROLLS INCLUDING A FORWARD AND REAR ROLL WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF ROLLS HAVING A ROLL COMPRISING A CORE OF NON-RESILIENT MATERIAL COVERED WITH A SLEEVE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE COMPRESSED TO ACCOMMODATE THICKENED PORTIONS OF SAID SLIVER, MEANS MOUNTING EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF ROLLS PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER WITH THE BELTS CARRIED THEREBY HAVING SECTIONS IN FACING ADJACENT RELATION AND ADAPTED TO CARRY FIBERS THEREBETWEEN, SAID MOUNTING MEANS HAVING ELEMENTS FOR DYNAMICALLY DISPLACING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ROLLS FROM THE CORRESPONDING ROLL OF THE OTHER PAIR WHEREBY SAID BELTS MAY BE MOVED APART AT AT LEAST ONE END, A FRAME HAVING WALLS, AND SHAFTS COAXIALLY SECURED TO SAID ROLLS, SAID ELEMENTS SUPPORTING SAID SHAFTS FOR ROTATION OF SAID ROLLS, SAID ELEMENTS OF SAID FORWARD ROLLS BEING SECURED IN SAID WALLS, AND TENSIONING MEANS COMPRISING PINS MOVABLY INTERENGAGING SAID ELEMENTS FOR SAID REAR ROLLS WITH SAID WALLS, MEANS SECURING SAID MOUNTING MEANS ADJACENT SAID MAIN CYLINDER, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID ROLLS WHEREBY SAID BELTS WILL BE ROTATED IN OPPOSITE RELATION TO ONE ANOTHER. 